I have been looking at my past blog posts about Christmas and thought I'd share some pictures with you.
Christmas 2014: I had been ill with the flu and didn't feel up to putting up a tree or pulling out any of my usual decorations. Instead, on Christmas Eve, I cut out some paper decorations for the mantel; the ballerinas were cut using a template I found online, the trees were cut free hand, and the little cabin in the woods was made up as I went, without any instructions:
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| Christmas 2014 |
Christmas 2015: I had received my first chemotherapy treatment earlier in the month and, although I felt well enough to decorate, I had a most miserable Christmas Eve and Christmas Day because the side effects had started in full force!
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| Christmas 2015 |
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| The Christmas Tree - 2015 |
Christmas 2016: I had completed my chemo and radiation treatments and was feeling well.
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| Christmas 2016 |
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| 2016 Christmas Tree |
Christmas 2017: The year without any decorations! Neither I, nor my daughter, felt like decorating and so, we didn't! It was OK, we spent Christmas Day with friends who had invited us to lunch and with family who had invited us to dinner, later that night. All the gifts were piled in front of the fire place:
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| Christmas 2017 - Dancer Checks the Gifts: "Which one is mine?" |
Christmas 2018: Daughter and I went to our friends' home to have Christmas dinner and, later, visited Aunt T to exchange gifts with the family.
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| Christmas 2018 |
Christmas 2019: Apparently, I was down with a lingering cold, cough, sinus infection from December 10 and onwards, until I saw the doctor on December 20th and was prescribed antibiotics. It was another year when I didn't decorate, but, we spent Christmas Day with friends who invited us to lunch and with family who invited us to dinner.
Which brings us to Christmas 2020! This year, my daughter (who in previous years didn't really care if I decorated or not) says she is really looking forward to seeing the house all decorated! We are still hoping that her friend will be able to drive her down for the holidays. Even if she's not able to come down, I will decorate the house and share it online with her.
Finally, this is a picture of my 2012 Christmas tree - it was another year when my daughter said it was too much work to put up the Christmas tree, but, I felt the need for something, so, my avocado seedling (still in a jar of water), came to the rescue!
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| The Avocado Christmas Tree |
I think Dancer was very confused that year! LOL.
Thanks for joining me in a walk down memory lane!
Your regular decorating years were beautiful but there is something special about what you did the years you didn't too. I think your 2014 paper decorations are really beautiful and I love your cute little 2012 avocado tree too!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha. I, too, like how my paper decorations turned out and my avocado tree! I planted the tree in the garden, but, it didn't survive some really cold nights we had one winter.
DeleteVery nice! I enjoyed seeing each year. One thing in common...you decorate perfect and neatly! I hope your health is perfect this year! I think Dancer likes the avocado tree the best! Andrea
ReplyDeleteThank you, Andrea. I'm in good health, so far, this year, touch wood! Dancer liked the little red ornaments I hung on the avocado tree! :)
DeleteI really like your paper decorations.
ReplyDeleteAre you going to have a Christmas tree this year?
Thank you, Nil. I liked how they turned out, myself. Yes, I have put up my Christmas tree, this year. It is an artificial one that I've had for several years.
DeleteLike the comments above, I think the simple paper decorations are charming. More importantly this is a positive record of coming through illness and treatment and being able to celebrate another Christmas with loved ones (even if it is virtual this year, with no hugging)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Angela. The paper decorations do have a calm and serene feel to them, don't they? :) This year, all the more colorful decorations are coming out, but, I just might recreate a small paper forest on one of my shelves.
DeleteBeautiful memories, I love all of these trees and the last picture is so cute!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Natalia. :)
DeleteYour tree looks so good and it looks like there's a beautiful angel on the top. I like your homemade paper ornaments - I made an origami nativity one year which took ages but look very effective. I forgot to photograph it though, so it's just a memory!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eileen. The angel on the top was a gift from my mother, one year. Last year, I put a glass spire on the top and my daughter much preferred it, so, this year, too, I put the glass spire and the angel will be displayed somewhere else (probably on the piano).
DeleteI love looking at Christmas decorations, including yours. I've never seen an avocado plant get that tall (and maybe Dancer hadn't, either.)
ReplyDeleteDid you daughter every decorate the tree she put up on her wall?
Thank you, Live and Learn. I think Dancer was looking to see if it was something edible! LOL.
DeleteNo, she hasn't got around to decorating the tree. Yesterday, she was busy making some polymer clay items, but, they were for gifts, I believe.
I never tire of looking at photos of "real" Christmas decorations (not magazine creations). It is good to see how you coped with the changing situations in your life and made celebratory decoration no matter what was happening. Our first Christmas in Canada was spent in a staff hotel. I had flown in from southern Ontario at the last minute to join DH, bringing some tiny decorations and I found some pine branches and stuck them in a Christmas paper covered box and decorated them. A Christmas to remember in many ways!
ReplyDeleteOh, but, magazine creations are so beautiful! I do like seeing how others decorate, too. Your first Christmas in Canada sounds very sweet and special. I decorated a philodendron plant that we had when we were living in a tiny apartment - there wasn't room for a Christmas tree even if I had wanted one! The holidays are what we make of them, aren't they? Vesak was the big celebration for me when I was growing up, with paper lanterns hung in the garden and clay oil lamps all along the garden wall. :)
DeleteYour story reminds me of our decorating a tree through the years. I am glad you are decorating the tree & house this year & I'll be sending lots of positive thoughts that your daughter's friend will drive her to your home.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary-Lou. I feel that we need all the Christmas cheer we can muster, this year! :D
DeleteI really enjoyed seeing your Christmas decorations over the recent years. Regardless of the degree of the decorations, everything looked so festive and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAs many others have commented, I'm especially charmed by your paper cutouts.
I recently saw instructions to make a large Scandinavian type star using multiple glued together brown paper lunch bags. Sounds very basic I know but it's beautiful when opened up - kind of like a gift itself.
I think I need a new glue stick lol
Thanks for posting these wonderful pictures.
I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures, Debra. The Scandinavian star sounds lovely. I hope you are able to get yourself a new glue stick and make some! :D
DeleteA lovely trip down memory lane and it's been wonderful to share your Christmases past. Your paper decorations are amazing. You are very talented. X
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. You are very kind. :)
DeleteThe paper decorations are beautiful! I really enjoyed seeing your decorations over the years!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kezzie; sometimes, the simplest decorations have the most impact, don't they?
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